Method of making an end stop for slide fasteners



Sept. 6, 1960 w. E. LAW METHOD OF MAKING AN END STOP FOR SLIDE FASTENERSFiled March 2, 1956 INVENTOR. MM 5 MW United States Patent METHOD OFMAKING AN END STOP FOR SLIDE FASTENERS William E. Law, Meadville, Pa.,assignor to Talon, Inc., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar.2,1956, Ser. No. 569,189 2 Cl m t 9- This invention relates to slidefasteners, and more par-- ticularly, to an improved end stop thereforand method of fabricating the same and attaching it to the stringertapes of the fastener.

It is the general practice in the manufacture of slide fasteners, as iswell known to those skilled in the art, to provide end stops at each endof the stringer tapes adjacent the endmost fastener element thereof forthe purpose of limiting the opening and closing movement of the slideralong the fastener. It is to an end stop positioned at the lower end ofthe fastener commonly known as a bottom stop that the present inventionrelates although it may be used at the upper end as a bridge stop ifdesired. Such a stop engages the beaded edges of the opposed stringertapes thereby securing them together.

It is the general object of this invention to provide an improved methodof fabricating and attaching a preformed end stop to the fastenerstringer tapes which is simple and inexpensive and, at the same time,provides an end stop which is strong and rugged in its construction.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be moreapparent in the course of the following specification, and will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown for the purpose ofillustration, an embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a slide fastener having theimproved end stop of the present invention incorporated therewith,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the end stop of my invention showing thetines thereof substantially in the position they assume when the endstop is attached to the stringer tapes,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the end of the end stop stock showing anend stop blank cut therefrom,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of my improved end stop member before it isattached to the stringer tapes, and

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view showing how my improved end stop isclamped to the beaded edges of the stringer tapes.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1, afragmentary view of a conventional slide fastener consisting of a pairof stringer tapes 2 having a series of spaced apart, interlockingfastener elements 3 attached to the opposed beaded edges 4 thereof.Adjacent the lowermost fastener elements 3 there is attached to thebeaded edges 4 of the stringer tapes the improved end stop 5 of myinvention.

As more clearly shown in Figs. 2, 4 and S of the drawings, the end stopof the present invention consists of a rectangular-shaped plate-likeportion 6 having longitudinally extending marginal flanges 7. Centrallyof this plate-like portion 6 there is arranged in staggered relation, aseries of gripping tines or clamping finger-like portions 8 and 9, withthe tines 8 extending in one direction and the tines 9 extending in theopposite direction, so as to Patented Sept. 6', 1960 the tines 9co-operate with the inner wall and marginal flange on the opposite sideof the plate-like portion 6 to clamp the end stop to the beaded edge ofthe other joining the stringer tapes which is an important aspect of thepresent invention.

My improved end stop may be fabricated in any suitable manner but it ispreferably made from rolled metallic stock. The stock is first rolled toa substantially T-shape cross section, as shown in Fig. 3 of thedrawings, and end stop blanks 13 of the desired length are then outtherefrom so as to provide a blank having a plate-like portion 6 withmarginal flanges 7 and a longitudinally extending central rib-likeportion 14. As shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, this rib-like portion 13of the blank is then cut at equally spaced apart intervals, as at 14, soas to provide the tines 8 and 9. The tines 8 are then bent slightly inone direction laterally of the blank and the tines 9 are bent laterallyslightly in the opposite direction so as to provide a completed end stopmember, as shown in Fig. 4.

To assemble the end stop member on the fastener chain the tines 8 and 9are inserted and positioned between the opposed beaded edges 3 of thestringer tapes 2 with the beaded edges positioned in the channels 15 ofthe platelike portion 6 on either side of the tines 8 and 9 and on theinner side of the marginal flanges 7, as shown in Fig. 5 of thedrawings. In such position it will be seen that the plate-like portion 6is disposed on one side of the beaded edges 3 of the stringer tapes andabutting the same with the tines 8 and 9 extending outwardly beyond thebeaded edges on the opposite side thereof. The tines 8 and 9 are thenbent inwardly toward the plate-like portion 6 by a suitable tool T,securely into engagement with the beaded edges 3 on the side oppositethat from the platelike portion 6 and into substantially parallelismtherewith, as shown in the broken lines of Fig. 5. That is, the

tines '8 are bent in one direction as before, and the tines stringertapes. It will also be seen that the finger-like portions 8 and 9 inco-operation with the plate-like portion 6 effectively clamp the beadededges of the stringer tapes. In so doing, it will be seen that thebeaded edge portions of the tape opposite the spaces 10 and 12 betweenthe finger-like portions 8 and 9, respectively, will tend to expand inthe respective spaces, as at 16, thereby further acting to preventaccidental displacement of the end stop downwardly along the beadededges of the tapes.

While I have shown and described an embodiment which my invention mayassume in practice, it will be understood that this embodiment is merelyfor the pur- 1. The methodof forming an end stop for slidei fastenertapes for limitingthe movement of the slide therealong which comprisesproviding a body member. substantially T-shape in cross-section having aplate-like portion with marginal flange portions and a plurality offinger-like portions arranged centrally thereof and extending outwardlytherefrom so as to provide a channel to either side thereof,

inserting the finger-like portions between the opposed t beaded edges ofthe fastener tapes so that said plate-like portion is disposed on oneside thereof with the beaded edges positioned in said channels, andfinally bending alternate finger-like portions in opposite directionssubstantially at their junction with said plate-like member around andinto engagement with said beaded edges into substantially parallelismwith said plate-like portions to clamp securely the beaded edges in saidchannels and whereby a space is provided between adjacent finger-likeportion opposite the respective beaded edges into which spaces thebeaded edges are adapted to expand to aid in preventing longitudinaldisplacement of the end stop along the fastener tapes.

2. The method of forming an end stop for slide fasteners which comprisesproviding a body member substantially T-shaped in cross section having aplate-like portion and marginal flange portions arranged therealong anda central rib-like portion extending outwardly therefrom substantiallyperpendicular thereto so as to provide a channel to either side thereof,cutting the rib-like portion at spaced intervals transversely thereof soas to provide a seriesof adjacent finger-like clamping portions, and

finally bending the finger-like portions alternately in oppositedirections toward said plate-like portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS PrupisJuly 31, 1956

